It is well known that prefabricated or cast-in-place concrete or composite-type panels are often used in building construction to form floors or other horizontal surfaces. Usually, such panels are adjacently placed in abutting, or nearly abutting relationship, on a grid of horizontal steel beams to form the horizontal surfaces. Alternatively, they may be used to create walls or other structures. The voids between adjacent panels are then partially, or wholly, filled with caulking compound or other joining materials.
The panels are often transported using various machines such as cranes, tractors, trucks, or other similar devices. The transportation of such panels can be time consuming and complicated, often resulting in damage to the panels. The manner of transportation often depends on the type, dimension, and weight of the panels. It is beneficial to transport the panels in such a way so as to lift the panels directly with minimal change in position and arrangement.
Some known cast panels are normally prepared for transportation using supports, casings, padding, and other safeguards to prevent damage during transportation. Typical casings and paddings include polythene wrapping, cushion packaging, and timber. This obviously creates more time to prepare each individual panel, which is problematic for many users under construction completion deadlines. Moreover, damage often occurs in the location of the contact areas between the prefabricated elements and the supporting frames during, or associated with, transportation of the panels. When utilizing bolts during the transportation process, it is important to protect any threaded portions of the bolts against rust and thread loss.
With reference to FIG. 1 of the instant application, some known techniques and methods for transporting cast panels are depicted. Transportation of such panels typically occurs in a series of steps. Initially, the panels are produced by casting concrete in a reusable mold or form, which is then cured in a controlled environment. The panels and prefabricated elements are removed from the mold, transported to the desired location, and unloaded for assembly. The panels should be handled with care when removed from the mold as the panels are more susceptible to damage at this stage of transportation.
When transporting the panels, it is important to lift and balance the panels in line with their center of gravity. In order to transports the panels, lifting inserts 104 are often utilized to attach the lines of a lifting assembly, such as a crane, to the panels. The lifting inserts, e.g., 104A, should be placed according to the type of panel. If the lifting inserts are not designed in the appropriate manner, the panel may become bent, the panel may be exposed to unwarranted stress, or the panels may be unintentionally released during the lifting and transportation process. The aforementioned issues may cause destruction of the panels and even unwarranted safety hazards on construction sites. Several factors should be considered when deciding the transportation method, including, but not limited to, the position of the casting mold; the size and weight of the panels; the number, size and location of the lifting inserts; the types of lifting inserts 104; the method of lifting; and the type of lifting equipment.
As seen in FIG. 1, the inserts are required not only to be fastened to the panel in precise locations, but, by the nature of removing material of the body of the panel during the fastening process and after the casting process of the panels, the inserts also decrease the structural integrity of the cast panel. Furthermore, once the cast panel is placed in its desired location, the one or more inserts are then either subjected to the time-intensive task of being removed from the panel or built over with existing material. As mentioned previously, not only is the integrity of cast panels important, due to the load-bearing nature of their applications, but the time to install, prepare, and transport these cast panels is also very important for many users.
Therefore, a need exists to overcome the problems with the prior art as discussed above.